What Singapore grads must know about finding a job today

For fresh grads, looking for a job can feel like searching for cockles in a $2.50 kway teow.

Once you’ve thrown your cap, stretched the selfie stick, and celebrated with ah ba, ah ma and the rest of the family, it’s time to turn your newfound knowledge into cold hard cash.

If you didn’t automatically get accepted for a job after graduation, fong sum. There are plenty of resources to point you in the right direction. Most universities in Singapore don’t teach you how to find a job you love or dress for an interview, but we can help you with that.

New graduates need to know how to search for a job before applying for one. It’s tempting to send 10 resumes a day and wait around sharing Sgag memes. But every resume should be tailored to a job application.

Pluck out a few jobs you’re interested and tailor your resume to each one. Look at the website, what is their tone? Corporate? HR? A startup environment? Match your personality and skills to the job description. Let’s say a hundred economics students will graduate with the same class and marginally similar grades - how will they stand out?

Since you don’t have a lot of experience, make sure your CV has personality. That touch of personality gives recruiters a sense of how you fit within the organisation, putting you ahead of others in the consideration process. If you’re lucky, you might even make your recruiter’s day.

Even if your CV stands, out, it could get tossed in the bin without a final check. CVs riddled with mistakes shout sloppiness and do not sit well with recruiters. Proofread several times for spelling, grammatical and other formatting errors. A fresh pair of eyes can be helpful for spotting these mistakes you might have missed. Sound professional! Alama! It’s not, “I got a degree in marketing,” it’s, “I have a degree in marketing”.